Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
T he rest of the afternoon flew by, and Serenity was exhausted by the time it was time to go home.
“Thanks again for walking with me while I took those fliers around,” she told Luca while locking up the back door.
She kept her gaze on her work, unable to look him in the eye. Something had passed between them this afternoon, and Serenity wasn’t ready to examine it closely yet. The tension in the air between them had been so thick she’d been sure she was going to suffocate.
But she hadn’t, though she had almost let Luca touch her.
Her cheek tingled at the memory.
She couldn’t let him touch her so intimately, at least not yet.
She’d been serious when she’d said she didn’t know her feelings. Luca made her feel safe, but how far did that extend into more? And what were his feelings? He’d crossed a line between them, but had never confessed his own thoughts.
“It wasn’t a big deal,” he replied, waiting for her to finish. “When are you planning your first meeting?”
“Day after tomorrow.” Serenity stepped away from the door, fiddling with the keys and managing to glance up once or twice. “Figured we’ve give everyone a few days to hear about it.”
“Wise.” Luca nodded.
“Would you…” Serenity hesitated. “Would you and your brothers like to come?” There. She’d given an invite without it being exclusive. “I know you don’t have businesses on Main Street, but I’m guessing you might have some good experience to help us create something new.” She waved a hand toward him. “For example, any thoughts you have on protection and safety would be appreciated.”
Luca tilted his head, watching her for a moment, and Serenity fought the urge to fidget under his gaze. “Sure. When and where?”
Serenity hoped she held in her relieved sigh well enough that he didn’t hear it. “Seven. My house.” She bit the inside of her cheek. Something about having Luca in her house felt exciting, despite the fact that they’d be surrounded by other people.
It wasn’t like this was a date, but somehow, a bubble of anticipation began to build in her core. It would be the first time she’d seen Luca outside of work, and even though the meeting was slightly work related, it still felt different.
Good different.
“Do you mind if I bring a friend?”
Crud. Was that code for a significant other? “Okay…who do you want to bring?”
“Officer Montoya,” Luca responded. “I’m not sure how much you remember, but he was the one who covered your break-in. If you’re looking at putting together a neighborhood watch, I’d think the police would be an asset.”
“You aren’t just going to teach all the women how to karate chop someone to the ground?” Serenity asked. The relief at his response was causing her to feel giddy.
Luca’s smile was well worth how stupid she felt at making the comment in the first place. “I don’t think I’ve ever karate chopped anyone. But it sounds intriguing.”
Serenity laughed, her embarrassment fading with his amusement. “I don’t know…I’ve seen it done in movies. That means it has to be real, right?”
“Hollywood is nothing if not real,” Luca agreed. The sides of his eyes crinkled just slightly, giving him a warmer look than his usual cool stoicism.
Serenity fiddled with her keys, finally stuffing them in her backpack. “I guess, I uh, better get back then. Thanks again.” The weight of depression began to settle into her chest as she walked toward her car. She wasn’t really ready to leave Luca, but whether it was because he made her safe or it was because she simply wanted to bask in his company, she wasn’t sure.
“Seri.”
She stopped. That nickname. Did he have any idea what it did to her? No one, no one , called her Seri, except for Luca. Ser…Serenity…Michaels…Little Sister…she’d heard it all, but Seri…that was Luca’s and Luca’s only.
“Would you like to grab dinner before you go home?”
Warmth danced its way down her spine, and she slowly turned around, hoping her shock didn’t show on her face.
Luca seemed to be struggling to meet her gaze, and his hands were clenched in fists. “I feel like it’s the least I can do, you know, to say thank you, since you’re going to let me karate chop someone tomorrow night.”
Serenity laughed before she could stop it. “You want to take me out to dinner as a thank you? For asking you to come help at a meeting?”
“For asking me to come karate chop someone.” Luca’s lips curled into a delicious smirk, adding to the energy already buzzing on her skin. He shrugged his massive shoulders. “I’ve always wanted to karate chop someone, and you just gave me an excuse.”
She laughed again. “Well…if it’ll make you feel that much better, then sure. You can take me to dinner as a thank you.” Her smile fell when she tucked more hair behind her ear. “I’m not really dressed for dinner though, and my face?—”
“Your face is perfect.”
Serenity’s eyes widened, along with Luca’s, telling her that he hadn’t meant to say that, but now Serenity’s buzz was more like a live electric wire. He thought she was beautiful. He still thought she was beautiful.
The cuts, the stitches, the scrapes…they would heal. They were embarrassing now and a stark reminder of the break in, but Serenity had assumed Luca didn’t feel the same attraction to her that he had when they were younger. Apparently, that wasn’t the case.
She’d never been more excited to be wrong.
Luca rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry. That was a little…blunt. I’m not trying to pressure you.” His dark eye swept over her face. “But you really do look amazing. Please don’t doubt it.”
Serenity took a couple of slow, long breaths. “Thank you.” What else was she supposed to say? They’d crossed a line earlier today, and it looked like they weren’t going to go back.
While she wasn’t sure what she wanted long term, Serenity knew one thing for sure. She wasn’t ready to let him go at this moment. And for now, that would be enough.
“What food do you need in order to be ready for your karate chopping tomorrow?” she asked.
Luca chuckled. “We’re in Lighthouse Bay,” he said with a grin. “Only one thing will do.”
“Is there anyone on the Oregon Coast that doesn’t sell fish and chips?” Serenity asked while she dunked her filet into a cup of tartar sauce.
Luca shrugged and wiped his greasy fingers on a napkin. “It’s a classic. If it was chilly tonight, I’d have insisted we get chowder as well.”
Serenity nodded. “Chowder in a bread bowl on a windy night? There’s nothing better.”
“Did you know Manhattan chowder is red?” Luca asked, watching Serenity’s face for her reaction. He wasn’t disappointed.
Her stunning eyes widened, and she slowly turned her head toward him. “What?”
Luca nodded and swallowed a french fry. “I’ve spent some time on the East Coast. Manhattan chowder uses tomatoes, so the broth is red. And while New England chowder is white like ours, some places use different veggies, like green peppers in it.”
“Heathens,” Serenity breathed.
Luca chuckled and shrugged. He’d been such a wimp, asking her out the way he had. But when she’d started to walk away from him for the day, his heart had thumped so painfully, that he’d choked out something on the fly. Saying thank you for the opportunity to karate chop someone was dumb, but it had made her laugh and she was with him now, so he’d take it.
Serenity turned back to their view, the grand Pacific Ocean, and settled more comfortably on the hard wooden bench. “Just goes to show that it’s never worth it to leave home. Next thing I know, you’ll be telling me they omit the bacon.”
“Yeah…that’s an Oregon thing.”
Serenity tsked her tongue. “That does it. I’m never traveling.”
“Never?” Luca raised his eyebrows. “No deep-seated desire to stretch your wings and look beyond this small town?”
Serenity shook her head, her hair shifting in the ocean breeze. “Nope. If you recall, my parents left for greener pastures…or at least warmer ones…and I stayed here.” She closed her eyes, tilting her head up slightly and taking a deep breath.
Luca found himself unable to look away. She was so beautiful. How had he ever walked away from her? What kind of a fool had he been to want to save the world instead of saving the woman he loved?
Younger Luca’s intentions had been good, but with every ache of loneliness that older Luca experienced, he began to wonder if he’d made the right choices in his life. Serenity had waited for him for so long, but had he been worth it? And was he worthy of any kind of a second chance?
Luca’s entire life had been spent helping others. From his teenage years, to his time in the military and then working with other vets. A small part of him now worried that being here, wanting a second chance, was selfish. He didn’t deserve it. Serenity should have moved on long ago. What man in his right mind put the woman he loved most on the back burner while he saved everyone but her?
He shook his head and forced himself to watch the waves. Small children in sweatshirts and swimsuits jumped and danced in the waves, squealing in delight or misery when they got cold and wet.
It was a scene he’d been raised with, a scene he’d been a part of too many times to count. But it was the woman sitting next to him that made the familiarity feel good.
“Do you regret it?”
Luca’s head snapped toward her voice, a spurt of panic that somehow he’d said something out loud.
“The traveling,” Serenity clarified. “Do you regret running around the world? Or did you enjoy it?”
Luca pursed his lips and looked down at the garbage still sitting in his lap from dinner. “Both, I think.” He sighed and looked back up. “I saw some interesting things,” he said softly. “But I also saw some ugly things. I learned a lot, but I missed a lot.” He looked sideways at her. “I suppose that’s not much of an answer.”
Serenity shrugged. “It makes sense. You were doing good things, but that doesn’t mean everything in life is good.”
“True enough.” Luca nodded.
“Have you met Blaire yet?”
Luca frowned. “Uh…no?” His heart skipped a beat. Who was Blaire? Was he a friend of Serenity’s? Was there a guy Luca didn’t know about who was sniffing around?
“She has the ice cream food truck in a parking lot a few shops down from me.” Serenity crushed her food container and dumped it in the greasy bag they’d carried the meal in. “Since you said thank you for offering a karate chop, how about I say thank you for dinner?”
Relief cooled the impending jealousy, though Luca tried to hide it. “So…you’re thanking me…for thanking you?”
Serenity laughed softly and stood up, wiping her pants free of sand. “I suppose I am.”
“I have a feeling this could end up very circular if we let it.”
“Would that be bad?”
Luca paused, turning to look at her as she stared right back. This was why that stupid bit of hope was flaring out of control. “I don’t think so,” he said carefully. “Do you?”
Serenity shrugged and began to walk toward the garbage can. “I guess only time will tell.”
Grinning, Luca rushed after her, dumping his own garbage before taking his place at her side. At least, it was his place for the time being. Funny how something so old could be so new between them.
He didn’t feel like the teenage boy who’d once fallen in love with a pretty teenage girl. No, this situation felt different yet still familiar. That same familiarity he’d felt when watching the kids play in the waves.
The joy of it all had to do with his company.
“Ice cream food truck, huh?” Luca said, striking up a conversation just so he could hear her voice. “When did this show up in town?”
“About two years ago,” Serenity offered. They paused before crossing the street. “Blaire has a funny sense of humor when it comes to flavors, but I’ve never eaten anything I didn’t love.”
“Funny sense of humor?”
Serenity’s smile was nothing but pure mischief. “You’ll see.”
Luca grunted, but let the silence sit comfortably between them as they walked. It only took about ten minutes to get to their destination, and the bright yellow truck was easily seen long before they arrived. “I think she has a sense of humor about more than flavors,” Luca murmured.
Serenity laughed again. “Don’t knock it til' you try it.”
Several people were in line ahead of them, giving Luca time to look over the menu. “Nutty Professor? Mint to Be?” Luca chuckled. “I think your friend likes puns.”
“I don’t know how she comes up with so many,” Serenity confided. “She changes her menu every couple of months, and the new names are just as fun.”
“Any suggestions?” Luca asked.
Serenity looked up at him thoughtfully. “Do you…do you trust me?”
His answer was out before he even fully processed the question. “Of course.”
Serenity’s smile was slow, but it sent Luca’s nerves to jumping and he had to brace his knees to keep from stepping closer to her. “Then why don’t you find a seat, and I’ll bring you something good.”
Luca nodded and went to find a bench, but his head was a whirl of thoughts. If she really wanted to bring him something good, there was only one thing he needed, and it was Serenity herself.
For now, he’d have to settle for the ice cream.